Explaining a device defect and requesting a replacement | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ik heb dit apparaat onlangs gekocht, maar het scherm flikkert soms.

   I bought this device recently, but the screen flickers sometimes.

   Ik heb

   I have

   dit

   this

   apparaat

   device

   onlangs

   recently

   gekocht

   bought

   maar

   but

   scherm

   screen

   flikkert

   flickers

   soms

   sometimes

   More detail

   Ik heb introduces the first-person singular perfect construction. heb is the present-tense form of hebben used with ik; the completed action is expressed with a past participle later in the clause. Example: Ik heb het gelezen. — “I read it” or “I have read it.” dit means “this” and points to a singular nearby or currently relevant thing. It is the neuter singular form; Dutch uses deze with singular common-gender nouns and plural nouns. Here it agrees with apparaat, a neuter noun. Example: Dit boek is nieuw. — “This book is new.” apparaat is a device or appliance. Its plural is apparaten. In the utterance, dit apparaat means “this device”; het apparaat shows the definite article normally used with this neuter noun. Example: Het apparaat werkt goed. — “The device works well.” onlangs means “recently” and places the purchase in the recent past. It is an adverb, so it does not change for person or number. Example: Zij is onlangs verhuisd. — “She recently moved.” gekocht is the past participle of kopen (“to buy”). The chain is kopen → kocht (simple past) → gekocht (past participle). With hebben, gekocht marks the completed purchase: Ik heb een fiets gekocht. — “I bought a bicycle.” maar connects two contrasting clauses and means “but.” It does not itself indicate time or cause. Example: Ik wil komen, maar ik ben ziek. — “I want to come, but I am ill.” scherm means “screen.” In the source it appears as het scherm, with the definite article het; the noun is a neuter noun. Its plural is schermen. Example: Het scherm is helder. — “The screen is bright.” flikkert is the third-person singular present form of flikkeren, meaning “to flicker.” The -t form agrees with the singular subject het scherm: Het scherm flikkert. The infinitive is flikkeren, and the plural present form is flikkeren, as in De schermen flikkeren. — “The screens flicker.” soms means “sometimes” and expresses occasional frequency. It is an adverb and stays unchanged. Example: De lamp flikkert soms. — “The lamp sometimes flickers.” Together, Ik heb ... gekocht says that the speaker completed a purchase, while onlangs places it recently. dit apparaat identifies the purchased object. After maar, het scherm flikkert soms adds the contrasting fact that the device’s screen occasionally flickers. Thus the whole utterance means: “I bought this device recently, but the screen flickers sometimes.”

2. Storingen die af en toe optreden, kunnen lastig te reproduceren zijn, dus we testen het hier.

   Intermittent faults can be hard to reproduce, so we will test it here.

   Storingen

   faults

   die

   that / which

   af en toe

   from time to time

   optreden

   occur

   kunnen

   can

   lastig

   difficult

   te reproduceren

   to reproduce

   zijn

   be

   dus

   so

   we

   we

   testen

   test

   het

   it

   hier

   here

   More detail

   Storingen is the plural of storing, meaning a fault or malfunction. The plural form is useful when speaking about more than one fault or about faults as a class. Example: De storing is zichtbaar. — “The fault is visible.” die introduces the relative clause describing Storingen. In this sentence it is the relative pronoun functioning as the subject of that clause: “faults that occur from time to time.” Dutch uses die with plural antecedents and with singular de-words; the exact choice depends on the antecedent and its grammatical role. af en toe is a reusable adverbial expression meaning “from time to time” or “occasionally.” It marks intermittent occurrence rather than saying that something happens continuously. Example: Het scherm flikkert af en toe. — “The screen flickers from time to time.” optreden is the infinitive meaning “to occur” or “to arise,” especially for faults, problems, or effects. Here it is the verb of the relative clause, whose subject is die referring back to the plural faults. Example: Er kunnen problemen optreden. — “Problems can arise.” kunnen is the present-tense plural form of kunnen, “can” or “be able to.” With Storingen as its plural subject, it expresses possibility: the faults may be difficult to reproduce. Dutch modal verbs commonly place the other infinitive or infinitive group toward the end of the clause. lastig means “difficult” or “hard” here. In lastig te reproduceren it evaluates how difficult the action is, rather than describing the faults as physically troublesome. A useful contrast is makkelijk te reproduceren — “easy to reproduce.” te reproduceren consists of te plus the infinitive reproduceren, “to reproduce.” In this sentence, “reproduce” means make the same fault happen again under testing, not copy an object. The pattern moeilijk/lastig te + infinitive is a reusable way to say that an action is difficult: Dit probleem is lastig te verklaren. — “This problem is difficult to explain.” zijn is the infinitive of “to be.” It completes the modal construction after lastig te reproduceren: literally, the faults “can be difficult to reproduce.” The surrounding clause structure places this infinitive at the end of the subordinate relative clause. dus means “so” or “therefore.” It connects the conclusion to the preceding fact: because intermittent faults can be hard to reproduce, the speaker states the testing action that follows. we is the first-person plural pronoun, “we.” It supplies the subject of the main clause. Dutch uses we as the unstressed form alongside wij, which is more emphatic in suitable contexts. testen is the present-tense plural form of testen, “to test.” With we, it means “we test.” Dutch present tense can also describe a planned or immediate action, so the fixed translation naturally renders this as “we will test” in context; the form itself is present tense. het is a neuter singular pronoun meaning “it” here. Its exact external referent is not stated uniquely by the fixed sentence, so this entry identifies its grammatical form and role without assigning it to a particular nearby noun. The intended object is understood from the situation. hier means “here,” referring to the place or setting of the testing. Example: We testen het hier. — “We test it here.” Together, Storingen die af en toe optreden means “faults that occur from time to time.” kunnen lastig te reproduceren zijn says that these faults may be hard to make happen again. After dus, we testen het hier gives the consequence: “so we will test it here.”

3. Ik heb een korte video gemaakt waarop te zien is dat dit tijdens normaal gebruik gebeurt.

   I recorded a short video of it happening during normal use.

   Ik heb

   I have / I …

   korte

   short

   video

   video

   gemaakt

   made / recorded

   waarop te zien is

   showing / on which it can be seen

   dat

   that

   dit

   this

   tijdens

   during

   normaal

   normal

   gebruik

   use

   More detail

   Ik heb is the first-person singular present form of hebben (“to have”), used here as the auxiliary for a completed action. With a past participle, it forms the Dutch perfect: ik heb ... gemaakt = “I have made/recorded ...”. The subject is ik; heb agrees with that subject. For example: Ik heb het getest. — “I tested it.” korte means “short” here and describes video. Its base form is kort; the -e form appears before this noun in een korte video. The opposite is lange (“long”), as in een lange video — “a long video.” video is the noun “video.” Dutch commonly uses de video; in this sentence it appears after the indefinite article een, giving een korte video — “a short video.” gemaakt is the past participle of maken (“to make”). In this context, making a video means recording one, so the combination een video gemaakt means “made/recorded a video.” The same participle can describe other completed acts: Ik heb een foto gemaakt. — “I took a photo.” waarop te zien is is a relative construction meaning “on which it can be seen” or, naturally here, “showing.” waarop means “on which,” while te zien is the infinitive expression “to be seen”; is is the singular present form of zijn (“to be”). Together, the construction introduces what the video visibly shows. For example: een foto waarop de fout te zien is — “a photo in which the fault can be seen.” dat introduces the content of what is shown: “that.” The structure te zien is dat ... is “it can be seen that ...”. Here it connects the visible content of the video with the following clause. dit means “this.” In this sentence, supported by the fixed translation, it points to the situation or phenomenon that is happening; it is not itself the word for “video.” Dutch demonstratives distinguish forms such as dit for a singular neuter referent and deze for a singular common-gender or plural referent, but the exact noun-like referent of dit is supplied by the situation rather than stated as a separate noun here. tijdens is the preposition “during.” It places an event within a period or activity: tijdens de test means “during the test.” normaal means “normal” here and describes gebruik. Its base form is normaal; in normaal gebruik, it has the form used before this bare neuter noun phrase. The phrase means “normal use,” as opposed to unusual or exceptional use. For example: Het werkt tijdens normaal gebruik. — “It works during normal use.” gebruik is the noun “use” in this context, referring to the activity or conditions of using something. The full phrase tijdens normaal gebruik means “during normal use.” Putting the parts together: Ik heb een korte video gemaakt says “I recorded a short video.” waarop te zien is dat adds “showing that,” and dit tijdens normaal gebruik gebeurt says “this happens during normal use.” The complete meaning is: “I recorded a short video of it happening during normal use.” The perfect construction presents the recording as completed, while the embedded clause describes what the video shows.

4. De video helpt als de storing tijdens de test niet optreedt.

   The video will help if the fault does not show up during the test.

   video

   video

   helpt

   helps

   als

   if

   storing

   fault

   tijdens

   during

   test

   test

   niet

   not

   optreedt

   shows up

   More detail

   video is a noun meaning “video.” In the sentence, it is part of the definite noun phrase De video, “the video”; the article is present in the source, not omitted. Its plural is video’s. helpt comes from helpen, “to help.” It is the present-tense form for a singular third-person subject such as de video. Dutch present tense can describe a result expected in the future, so the fixed translation naturally uses “will help.” Example: Deze uitleg helpt. — “This explanation helps.” als introduces the condition: “if.” Here the condition is that the fault does not occur. Dutch also uses als in some “when” clauses, but “if” is the intended meaning here. The pattern X helpt als ... means “X helps if ...”. storing is a noun meaning “fault,” “malfunction,” or “failure.” It normally takes the article de: de storing. Probleem is a broader word for “problem,” but it is not interchangeable with storing in every context. tijdens is a preposition meaning “during.” It is followed here by the noun phrase de test: tijdens de test, “during the test.” Example: Tijdens de les maak ik aantekeningen. — “During the lesson, I take notes.” test is a noun meaning “test.” With the definite article, de test means “the test.” The phrase tijdens de test identifies the time period in which the possible fault is being considered; it does not itself say that the fault occurs. niet is the ordinary Dutch negation word “not.” Here it negates optreedt, so the condition is that the fault does not occur. Its placement before the verb is part of this subordinate-clause pattern. optreedt comes from the separable verb optreden, “to occur” or “to show up.” In a main clause, the parts can separate: De storing treedt op. — “The fault occurs.” In the subordinate clause introduced by als, they remain together at the end: als de storing optreedt. This is the present-tense form with the singular subject de storing; it is not derived from the noun storing. Together, als de storing tijdens de test niet optreedt means “if the fault does not show up during the test.” The complete structure is De video helpt + als ...: “The video will help if the fault does not show up during the test.”

5. Ik heb liever een vervangend apparaat dan een reparatie.

   I would prefer a replacement instead of a repair.

   heb liever

   prefer

   vervangend

   replacement

   apparaat

   device

   reparatie

   repair

   More detail

   heb liever is the reusable preference construction in ik heb liever X dan Y: literally, the speaker has X more gladly, and naturally, prefers X to Y. heb is the first-person singular present form of hebben; liever is the comparative form related to graag (“gladly”): graag → liever → het liefst (“most gladly / prefer most”). Example: Ik heb liever thee dan koffie. — “I prefer tea to coffee.” vervangend describes something that serves as a replacement. It is related to the verb vervangen (“to replace”), but the observed form is an adjective, not that verb’s finite form. In een vervangend apparaat, it has the -end form and does not take -e because it modifies the singular neuter noun apparaat after the indefinite article een. Example: Dit is een vervangend onderdeel. — “This is a replacement part.” apparaat means “device” or “appliance.” It is a singular neuter noun, commonly used with het: het apparaat; its plural is apparaten. Example: Het apparaat werkt weer. — “The device is working again.” reparatie means “repair” and is a singular noun used with de: de reparatie. It names the repair as an action or service, rather than the object being repaired. Example: De reparatie duurt een uur. — “The repair takes an hour.” The comparison pattern is completed by dan (“than”): liever X dan Y means “prefer X to Y.” Here, X is een vervangend apparaat (“a replacement device”), and Y is een reparatie (“a repair”). Together, Ik heb liever een vervangend apparaat dan een reparatie. means “I would prefer a replacement instead of a repair.”

6. We kunnen die voorkeur noteren, maar de inspectie bepaalt wat de volgende stap is.

   We can record that preference, but the inspection decides the next step.

   We kunnen

   we can

   die

   that

   voorkeur

   preference

   noteren

   record

   maar

   but

   inspectie

   inspection

   bepaalt

   decides

   wat

   what

   volgende

   next

   stap

   step

   is

   is

   More detail

   We kunnen expresses “we can” here. kunnen is the present-tense form of the modal verb kunnen used with we; it is followed by an infinitive. The same pattern is reusable: We kunnen ... + infinitive, for example We kunnen wachten. — “We can wait.” The subject is we, and kunnen is the plural present form used with it. die means “that” in this sentence and refers to the preference identified in the fixed translation. Dutch demonstratives depend on grammatical number and noun type: die is used with a singular de-word or with plural nouns, while dat is used with a singular het-word. Here it accompanies voorkeur. voorkeur is the noun “preference.” Its useful article pattern is de voorkeur; an indefinite form is een voorkeur. In the supplied context, it is the preference for a replacement device rather than a repair. noteren means “to record” or “to note.” It is an infinitive after the modal kunnen, so We kunnen die voorkeur noteren means “We can record that preference.” In a request, the same verb can occur in Wilt u ... noteren? — “Would you please note ...?” maar connects two contrasting clauses and means “but.” It introduces the contrast between what can be recorded and what determines the next step. inspectie is the noun “inspection.” It is a de-word: de inspectie. In this sentence, it is the singular subject of the second clause. bepaalt means “decides” or “determines” here. It is the present-tense singular form of bepalen (“to decide” / “to determine”): de inspectie bepaalt. The final -t marks this third-person singular present form. Compare wij bepalen — “we decide” — where the plural form has no final -t. wat introduces the embedded question “what.” In wat de volgende stap is, the clause identifies what the inspection determines: the next step. The clause functions as the object of bepaalt. A reusable pattern is Ik weet wat het probleem is. — “I know what the problem is.” volgende means “next” and describes stap. Its base form is volgend; the -e form appears here before the singular de-word stap in the definite noun phrase de volgende stap. volgende is not the form of stap; it is the adjective modifying it. For example, de volgende vraag means “the next question.” stap is the noun “step,” as in a step in a process. It is a de-word: de stap. The phrase de volgende stap means “the next step.” is means “is” and is the third-person singular present form of zijn, “to be.” In the embedded clause, de volgende stap is linked to the description introduced by wat: wat de volgende stap is — “what the next step is.” Together, We kunnen die voorkeur noteren says that recording the preference is possible. maar contrasts this with de inspectie bepaalt wat de volgende stap is, where the singular subject de inspectie determines the next step. The complete utterance therefore means: “We can record that preference, but the inspection decides the next step.”

7. Wilt u alstublieft noteren dat het probleem direct na de installatie begon?

   Please note that the problem started right after setup.

   Wilt u

   would you

   alstublieft

   please

   noteren

   note down

   het probleem

   the problem

   direct na

   right after

   de installatie

   the setup

   begon

   started

   More detail

   Wilt u is a polite request pattern: wilt is the present-tense form of willen used with formal or plural u, and inversion places the verb before the subject in this question. With an infinitive, the pattern is Wilt u + infinitive...? Example: Wilt u wachten? — “Would you wait, please?” alstublieft is the polite word “please.” It can make a request more courteous, as here. Together with Wilt u, it gives a respectful request rather than a statement about willingness. noteren is the infinitive of the verb “to note” or “to record.” In Wilt u ... noteren?, it is the requested action and remains in the infinitive after the conjugated verb wilt. Example: Wilt u mijn naam noteren? — “Would you note my name?” het probleem means “the problem.” probleem is a singular noun with the fixed article het; het is not a numeric marker. Example: Het probleem is opgelost. — “The problem is solved.” direct na is a time expression meaning “immediately/right after.” na introduces the event that serves as the time reference, while direct strengthens it to mean that there is essentially no intervening time. Example: Bel me direct na de vergadering. — “Call me right after the meeting.” de installatie means “the installation” or, in this context, “the setup.” installatie is a singular noun used with the article de. The article belongs to this noun; it does not itself express a quantity. Example: De installatie duurde een uur. — “The installation took an hour.” begon is the simple past singular form of beginnen, “to begin/start.” Here it agrees with the singular subject het probleem: the problem started. The past form presents the starting event as completed in the past. Example: De film begon om acht uur. — “The film started at eight.” The sentence assembles as Wilt u + noteren to make a polite request, followed by the content being recorded: dat het probleem ... begon (“that the problem ... started”). Inside that clause, het probleem is the subject, begon is the past-tense verb, and direct na de installatie places the start immediately after the setup. The complete meaning is: “Please note that the problem started right after setup.”

8. Ik zal dat aan het servicerapport toevoegen.

   I will add that to the service record.

   Ik zal

   I will

   dat

   that

   aan

   to

   het servicerapport

   the service record

   toevoegen

   add

   More detail

   Ik zal combines the first-person pronoun ik (“I”) with zal, the present-tense form of zullen used here to express a future action. The infinitive belonging to it comes later: toevoegen. Example: Ik zal morgen bellen. — “I will call tomorrow.” dat means “that” here and refers to the information being added. As a demonstrative pronoun, dat is used for a singular neuter referent; its contrasting form is die for a singular common-gender referent or a plural referent. The exact referent is not named in this sentence. aan is the preposition used with toevoegen for the thing to which something is added. Learn the reusable pattern iets aan iets toevoegen: “add something to something.” Example: Voeg de datum aan het formulier toe. — “Add the date to the form.” het servicerapport means “the service record.” het is the definite article used with this noun. servicerapport is a compound noun referring here to a record or report connected with service; the noun itself is servicerapport, not service or rapport separately in this sentence. toevoegen is the infinitive “to add.” Its common past participle is toegevoegd, as in Ik heb de datum toegevoegd. — “I added the date” or “I have added the date,” depending on context. In the fixed sentence, zal ... toevoegen places the infinitive after the future/modal verb. Together, Ik zal dat aan het servicerapport toevoegen means “I will add that to the service record.” The structure is subject + zullen-form + object + aan + destination/receiving item + infinitive: Ik zal dat aan het servicerapport toevoegen.